One of the recurring themes of mid-1920s Chinese films was to attack the injustice of traditional arranged marriages, whereby a young man's parents would select his spouse, negotiating the pairing through a professional matchmaker. Since the bride-to-be's parents received a suitable payment from the prospective groom's, arranged marriages were really no less than the sale of a daughter. Therefore, although families always hoped for and took great joy in having sons, the financial advantage of having a daughter led to her being termed "A thousand pieces of gold." (By the way, the 1991 American movie of that title is highly recommended.) For the girl the practice was doubly cruel in that the young woman was not setting up her own household, but rather becoming the "young mistress" of her husband's, her role for the foreseeable future that of a servant to his mother, the "old madam". Zheng Zhengqiu had treated this subject in his shorter feature "A Couple in Difficulty" (1913), but this later full-length feature went beyond exposing the inequities of the practice to demonstrate its potential for tragedy.
Aiqing yu Huangjin (1926) 爱 情 与 黄 金 (Love and Gold)
Mingxing. Silent. 9 reels. Direction: Zhang Shichuan, Hong Shen. Asst. Director and Cinematography: Cheng Shuren. Asst. Director and Set Decoration: Maxu Weibang. Screenplay and Program notes: Hong Shen. Cast: Ding Ziming (Chen Lianzhen), Yao Liying (Lianzhen's aunt), Wang Mengshi (Lianzhen's uncle), Hong Shen (Huang Zhijun), Tan Zhiyuan (Chu, the mill owner), Zhang Zhiyun (Chu Sujuan), Wang Xianzhai (the matchmaker), Xiao Yangsu (Wu Yunyu), Li Shiyuan (Chu's concubine), Maxu Weibang (Wang Danru), Zhou Luan (Wu Kunyu), Dong Xiangping (the Chu family servant), Zheng Zhengqiu (the beggar).
When her parents die early, Chen Lianzhen (Ding Ziming) is sent to to live with her father's elder brother (Wang Mengshi) and his wife in Shanghai, where, she meets bright and talented Huang Zhijun (Hong Shen), a financially struggling elementary school teacher. In spite of the teacher's poor economic prospects, Lianzhen falls in love with him. But her foster father, motivated by greed, betrothes her to a wealthy man as his concubine. When Lianzhen learns of this, she hurriedly contacts Zhijun, and the young couple elope. Although her forced betrothal legally bars them from marrying, they live together, and after three years are happy in spite of their poverty. When a new cotton mill is opened in their town, and announces it is hiring, Zhijun takes this opportunity to change his occupation and get a better-paying job.
[left, Ding Ziming and Hong Shen, two young lovers facing a bleak financial future]
The young man's intelligence and ability soon catches the eye of the mill owner, Mr. Chu. He is so impressed he invites Zhijun to join the owner's family on a trip to Suzhou. During the outing, the mill owner's daughter Sujuan (Zhang Zhiyun) is even more impressed with Zhijun, especially when she learns he is unmarried. After the trip, Sujuan persuades her father to assign Zhijun to assist her with her busy social calendar, helping with party arrangements, etc., and over the next year they spend considerable time together and develop a relationship. One day, as Lianzhen is sorting some clothes for laundering, she discovers a photograph of a young woman she has never seen before, which puzzles her. Meanwhile, Mr. Chu sends an intermediary (Wang Xianzhai) to discuss with Zhijun the topic of marriage to Miss Chu, which forces Zhijun to clarify his personal situation. After discussing the matter with his daughter, the mill owner contacts Lianzhen, offering her a large cash payment to break off with Zhijun. Lianzhen angrily confronts Zhijun, and when she rebukes him for his heartlessness, Zhijun coldly points out that since they are unmarried, she has no legal basis for her objections and should just accept the offer and start a new life somewhere else. The wedding arrangements are made, but Lianzhen shows up and after bitterly denouncing Zhijun in front of everyone, she commits suicide. Overcome with remorse and shame, Zhijun grabs the gun she used and takes his own life.
[below, gold trumps love, ending in tragedy]
